A review on prospects, challenges, stakeholders and strategies for the implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Authors

Esther Adekunle, Ferdinand Ottoh, Goddy Osimen, Adedotun O Akinola

Published in

African journal of primary health care & family medicine. Volume 18. Issue 1. Pages e1-e5. Jun 25, 2026. Epub Jun 25, 2026.

Abstract

Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a human right and a main driver of social well-being, economic progress and public health. This study presents a narrative review on the prospects, challenges, stakeholders and strategies regarding WASH implementation in developing countries. A literature search approach, fully dependent on the availability of data from secondary sources, has been adopted for the study. Improved sanitation and hygiene education from WASH boost health, learning and school attendance. However, equity, cost and maintenance are some of the barriers to WASH. Furthermore, success requires long-term investment, community engagement, collaboration across sectors, schools with infrastructure to support WASH, health education, monitoring of water quality and funding for sustainability mechanisms. This study contributes to the literature by revealing the prospects, challenges, stakeholders and strategies for the implementation of WASH in developing countries. This study will provide empirical data for researchers and policymakers towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4.

PMID:
42416985
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Jul 2026.

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